Energy Food and Drink

Recent Food/Drink Reviews

The Crafty Weka Bar The Original

This bar is great for a snack on the go, and can even replace breakfast! It keeps me full for hours. It's also great to put in smoothies. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a clean, NZ-made snack bar. These bars taste incredible and the taste and texture varies depending on what flavour you get! Currently my favourite is date and orange.  No prep required, just buy with your groceries and you're good to go. Easy to chuck in a backpack for long walks or bike rides.  This bar satisfies my… Full review

The Crafty Weka Bar The Original

Energy in a 75-gram bar that tastes great. I have been given some of these energy bars to try and to review with no pressure to give a good review. This is a new start-up business in Christchurch, New Zealand. I have carried these on both day walks and on a multi-day hike and found the following:   They are a tasty bar with loads of nuts and seeds in a syrup base, which I suspect is honey, slightly chewy with a crunch. The label says they have: energy 1860 kj protein 8.1 g fats 18.7 g carbs 30.4… Full review

Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier

The Liquid IV electrolyte mix offers a variety of flavors, but none of them are overly sweet. I ordered the product directly from the company. The product was delivered quickly and ahead of schedule. I ordered the variety pack which included three flavors—Lemon Lime, Acai Berry and Passion Fruit. There were eight packets of each flavor. It is recommended that each packet be added to 16 ounces. or 0.5 liter of water. At first I found it a little difficult to open the packets cleanly. I then realized… Full review

Hotshot Sports Shot

Relieves muscle cramps fast! I had returned from several days of backpacking in the Trinity Alps. The last day was long and hot, and I'd probably not drunk as much water as I should have. But the beer was cold, and it was sooo nice to sleep in a real bed. And at 3 a.m., the cramping started. It began in my right calf, and as I tried stretching/rubbing it out without waking up my wife (sorry, honey!), the left calf started to kick in too. As they both got tighter and more painful, I remembered the… Full review

Clif Nut Butter Filled Bar

This is a nice addition to the Clif Bar lineup of energy bars. The Peanut Butter flavored Nut Butter filled Clif Bar has an appealing softer consistency than the classic Clif Bars, which combined with a great taste, make these bars a nice option as a trail bar to throw in your pack for a day hike or a through hike. Years ago I used to be a big fan of classic Clif Bars, but as other manufactures brought a seeming endless number of options to the market, I started shifting to other trail bars that… Full review

Larabar Cashew Cookie

A straightforward, no-nonsense trail snack that has become a personal favorite. Taste: With only two ingredients (cashews and dates), the taste is as one might expect (surprise, it tastes like cashews and dates!). I’ve never been a huge fan of raw dates, but these are much more enjoyable than raw dates, even though there is a distinct date flavor. As for cashews, I could eat them all day, everyday, so this bar was particularly intriguing for me. From what I’ve seen, most other trail bars/snacks… Full review

Patagonia Provisions Apricot + Almond Bar

A non-GMO, organic energy bar that tastes great and has a backpacker-acceptable caloric density of 100 calories per ounce. The small size lends it to stashing in small pockets (but not so much for satiety). These are expensive, just as most organic, non-GMO products are. Here are the ingredients as listed on the package: Organic Dried Apricot, Organic Dried Pear, Organic Dried Apple, Organic Almond, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Baobab Fruit Powder, Organic Black Chia Seeds Here is the… Full review

Tailwind Rebuild

Tailwind Rebuild drink powder is easy to mix, tastes good, is digestible and provided an ideal balance of carbohydrate, protein and electrolytes to replenish the body immediately after exercise. I’m a big fan of recovery snacks and Tailwind Nutrition has developed an easy solution for replenishing needed nutrients efficiently with the new Rebuild drink powder. The recovery period is often overlooked for long-distance backpackers but the concept has been around sports nutrition for a long time. Full review

Kate's Tiki Bar

These bars taste good and have a good, crunchy texture. One of my favorite discoveries this year was Kate’s brand. I have burned out on so many energy bars that I’m filled with dread every time I have to stock up. Kate’s saved the day with a bar that has actual crunch and delicious flavor. I quickly tire of the soft textures of so many backpacking foods but Kate’s bars use organic brown rice crisps (think Rice Krispies) to provide a satisfying crunch. All of her products use gluten-free,… Full review